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The Council of Europe and the European Union have taken a further step towards strengthening international cooperation on money laundering and criminal asset recovery, with the signing of a new protocol designed to help authorities trace, freeze and confiscate proceeds of crime, including crypto-assets. The Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism, commo

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has arrested three individuals in a major operation targeting a suspected organised criminal network allegedly involved in insider dealing and money laundering. The coordinated enforcement action, conducted alongside the National Crime Agency (NCA) on 13 October 2026, involved more than 100 personnel, searches of five residential properties and the seizure of over 30 electronic devices. The investigation represents a significant in

Vietnam has introduced stricter beneficial ownership and customer due diligence requirements, obliging banks and other regulated institutions to investigate complex corporate structures, identify individuals exercising ultimate control, and examine ownership arrangements extending beyond the country's borders. The measures, introduced under Government Resolution No. 66.23/2026/NQ-CP, took effect on July 24, 2026, and establish more detailed requirements for identifying the

Iron ore trader Radiant World and related companies are facing allegations of fraud and money laundering after US investment fund Mariner Atlantic Multi-Strategy LLC filed a criminal complaint with the Geneva Public Prosecutor’s Office in Switzerland. The complaint, filed around September 14, 2026, names Radiant World, its Swiss subsidiary, related entities, founder Pinkesh Nahar and other individuals. Mariner is asking Swiss prosecutors to open a criminal investigation, sear

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released the names and photographs of 24 Nigerian nationals arrested by immigration authorities over alleged criminal offences, including fraud, money laundering, drug-related crimes, identity theft, assault and weapons violations. The announcement comes as President Donald Trump’s administration intensifies its immigration enforcement campaign, with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carrying out arres

The European Union’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) has identified five areas where amendments or clarifications to the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) could strengthen protections against money laundering and terrorist financing. The recommendations cover staking and crypto-asset lending, decentralised finance, unauthorised stablecoins, certain token issuers and cross-border supervision of crypto-asset service providers. AMLA published its response to the

South Africa is preparing to strengthen oversight of gambling conducted through mobile phones and digital networks, with government ministers examining regulatory gaps, consumer protection measures and advertising restrictions amid growing concerns about gambling addiction and financial harm. South Africa's government is considering additional measures to regulate gambling activities accessed through mobile phones, as authorities face increasing pressure to address the soci

Germany’s financial regulator, the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), has set revised deadlines for Deutsche Bank AG to address deficiencies in the data-processing systems used to monitor transactions and business relationships for potential money laundering and terrorist financing. The measure was issued on September 15, 2026, became final on October 6 and was publicly announced on October 9. It updates earlier supervisory orders issued in April 2021 and Novemb

Oleg Korniev, a 42-year-old dual citizen of Ukraine and Russia, has pleaded guilty in the United States to leading an international money laundering organisation that helped cybercriminals move funds stolen from American businesses and bank accounts overseas. The organisation, known as Your Mule Cashout (YMCO), recruited more than 15,000 US-based money mules and laundered at least $7 million in criminal proceeds, according to court documents. The network was linked to losses

American Express National Bank has been ordered to pay a $350 million civil money penalty after US banking regulators identified significant weaknesses in its anti-money laundering (AML) compliance programme, including failures to identify, investigate and report approximately $13 billion in suspected trade-based money laundering activity over roughly a decade. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced the penalty on October 8, 2026, alongside a cease-and-

Brazil’s regulated online gambling market has effectively closed, marking a dramatic reversal for a sector that only recently moved into a nationwide licensing framework. Licensed sports-betting and online-casino platforms were taken offline on October 6 after the government’s deadline for ending operations passed without an intervention from the Supreme Federal Court. Major operators, including Betano, Sportingbet, Betnacional, Esportes da Sorte and Superbet, withdrew their

Britain is taking a closer look at the rapidly expanding prediction-market sector, with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) holding discussions with major operators including Kalshi and Polymarket as the companies explore potential entry into the UK market. Simon Walls, the FCA’s executive director for markets, confirmed the regulator’s engagement with the companies during its annual public meeting on 6 October, signalling that British authorities are prepared to examine ho

French security services recorded nearly 7,630 people as suspects in money laundering offences in 2025, according to new statistics published by France’s Statistical Service for Internal Security (SSMSI). The figures form part of a new statistical series covering money laundering and terrorist financing cases recorded by French security services between 2021 and 2025. The data was published on October 7, 2026, as part of work conducted under France’s Council for the Orientati

The European Union’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) has opened a public consultation on draft regulatory technical standards for establishing a central EU-wide database containing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing supervisory information. The consultation, launched on October 7, 2026, concerns regulatory technical standards required under Article 11(6) of the AMLA Regulation. The proposed framework is intended to create a single system through whic

A federal judge in Illinois has dealt a significant setback to the state’s attempt to regulate prediction markets as a form of sports wagering, ruling that much of Illinois’ regulatory framework is likely preempted by federal law. U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold of the Northern District of Illinois granted preliminary injunction relief sought by Kalshi, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and Coinbase, concluding that the sports-related contracts at issue are

Cambodian authorities are preparing nationwide inspections of licensed casinos as part of an intensified campaign against unauthorised online gambling and cyber scam activities operating from casino premises. The inspections will begin during October 2026 and will focus on ensuring that land-based casinos comply with the conditions of their licences and do not secretly operate or provide facilities for online gambling. The inspection programme was agreed at a meeting on Octob

New York-based investment fund Mariner Atlantic Multi-Strategy has filed a criminal complaint in Switzerland against iron ore trader Radiant World and related entities, alleging fraud and money laundering in connection with financing obtained for metals transactions. The complaint was filed with the Geneva Public Prosecutor’s Office on or around September 14 and names Radiant World, its Swiss subsidiary, Sapphire Minmetals Corporation and founder Pinkesh Nahar. Mariner is see

German and Dutch authorities have carried out coordinated raids against a suspected international money laundering and gold smuggling network, arresting three suspects and searching around 40 residential and commercial properties. The operation on October 7 involved approximately 450 police and customs officers across several German states and the Netherlands, with support from Europol. Searches were conducted in locations including Cologne, Wuppertal, Leverkusen, Gelsenkirch

Greece’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority has identified a money laundering method involving excessive payments to utility providers that are later refunded to customers, allowing illicit funds to appear as legitimate repayments. The authority said its operational analysis identified individuals presenting themselves as residents of Greece who entered into contracts for electricity, telecommunications, water or other utility services linked to properties they owned or rented.

De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) has imposed an administrative fine of €722,160 on electronic money institution Modulr Finance B.V. for serious deficiencies in its ongoing monitoring of customers and transactions. The fine relates to the period from January 1, 2023, to July 16, 2024. DNB identified shortcomings through its review of 10 customer files and concluded that Modulr had failed to adequately monitor customer relationships and transaction activity over a prolonged period.